I am on a role! Hope I don't jinx it -_-' But from what I can tell I've only got a couple more chapters left. Hope to have it done soon!

Anyway, you guys are great. Another chapter for you.

Chapter 20

"Dude, made it," Beastboy sighed. He never knew their had been so many stairs in his life. To make matters worse his injury had greatly slowed him down. Luckily he had devised a system to get him and the children up the many steps. As they clung to his front- with Timmy's blanket tied around them and Beastboy for support- the changeling would slide up a step. His hands would lift and his good leg would balance. It had been pain staking, but in do time he made it up the stairs with no injures.

"Dude," Teether repeated enthusiastically. Beastboy smiled a toothy grin and chuckled just a bit. "That's right little guy," he messed Teether's small amount of yellow hair. The infant smiled brightly and Melvin giggled. "I can see why Raven cares so much for you guys," Beastboy added. He untied the blanket and let them slide to the floor. Quickly, he turned into wolf. He leaned in front of them. "Alright, get on," he said. Melvin swiftly lifted Teether onto Beastboy's back. While she did, Beastboy looked over the girl's wounds. It was remarkable how quickly she was healing when he wounds should be searching for a way to steal her life. There was still many horrible scares, but the worst of her injuries had turned into mere scratches and bruises.

Once Teether was secure on Beastboy's back Melvin looked at the green boy. "I wanna walk," she spoke cheerfully. It was undeniable in an under tone the young girl was challenging Beastboy to protest. He smirked in response. "Alright," he said, "but stay close, and make sure the little guy doesn't fall off." Melvin nodded vigorously. With that, Beastboy began limping his way down the hall. It was easier on three paws then one leg. Each bounce earned a cheer of delight from Teether. Melvin would laugh from time to time with a joke or two. Before they made it more than five meters down the hall, however, a dark figure approached them from up ahead- despite the hallway lights shinning bright. Beastboy and Melvin froze like ice. Teether's earlier glee vanished as his eyes grew wide. "Hello young ones," Vita's voice called to them. It was sweet, and almost alluring.

She stood with little grace in the form of a gorgeous young woman with dark hair and as pail as death itself. Perfect, scandalous frame portioned in just the right places. The kind of body that tempted innocent men into impure thoughts. Vita exaggerated her new human form with indecent garments as well. Her top consisted of a single dark cloth bra. It wasn't even a bra, and it left little to the imagination. The second piece looked like it had once been apart of a beautiful dark evening gown, shredded in half and ripped along the sides. It hung loosely on her hips with the side slits exposing her fine legs. As lovely as her body was, her face was of even greater beauty. Lush cheery lips, and wonderfully soft facile appeal. Even her blood eyes were hypnotizing. At first glance, Beastboy's jaw dropped. Once his green eyes met Vita's red ones, the illusion seemed to disappear.

She was still a beautiful young woman by appearance, but Beastboy knew better. As he stared at the horrible monster's eyes the memories of all she had done filled his mind. In his eyes, she was still the gruesome demon that had attacked his friends, and stole Starfire away. The thought of Starfire made Beastboy's mind halt. Vita was standing before him in her own body, not Starifre's. So then...

"What did you do with Starfire?!" he growled. Vita's lips curled into a cruel smirk. It exposed the sharp fangs she had in place of eye teeth. "Wouldn't you like to know," she spoke in an almost seductive voice. Beastboy felt Mevlin's grasp tighten on his furry shoulder. He growled just the slightest as his mind raced for what to do. With his leg completely unusable, he could not run. Yet if he were to stay and fight while Mevlin took Teether and ran, Vita would finish him quickly, and they would be left defenseless. "My, my, what a prickly situation you're in now, hmm, Garfield Logan," Vita sneered. She took a fighting stance but did not attack. Instead, four thin sharp spikes shot from her spin. Dark ooze splattered the ground and walls behind Vita. Beastboy was utterly shocked.

"How do you know my name?" he could not hold himself back from asking. Vita's smirk twitched a little so that it grew.

"Oh I know much more than just your name, Garfield," her sooth voice answered. "Every memory your pathetic excuse for a team mate held with you, I saw them. Not just you, either. Everyone of you Titans. I know everything, from your strengths and weaknesses to your dreams and fears. All those secrets you've shared with your friends are now mine. I know just what makes you tick." Beastboy's earlier dread became a feeling of utter doom. How could he fight an enemy that knew everything about him? Teether whimpered from atop of Beastboy's back as if he knew what the changeling was thinking. Although it was obviously an impossible task, the green titan knew he would have to try.

"What are you going to do, Garfield?" Vita continued to taunt. Beastboy never missed that Vita was slowly inching her way closer. Finally, he made a decision. "Melvin, take Teether," he ordered.

"Huh?" the little girl answered.

"Take Teether and stay back," he said again. This time, Melvin picked up the seriousness in Beastboy's tone. She quickly took the infant from him, and raced over towards the stairs. She did not descend them, however; Beastboy had ordered her to stay back, not run. "Do you honestly think you're going to win against me?" Vita laughed heartily.

"No," Beastboy answered truthfully. "But I can fight you until the others show up. Then we are gonna beat you!"

"Heh, brave words little green bean," Vita's skin began to change colour to it's original ashen tones. "Oh but wait, you don't know do you!"

"Don't know what?" Beastboy asked. Never in his entire teenage life span had Beastboy ever seen a smile so dark, it was hard to believe it was even a smile. Yet there it was, caressing Vita's mouth. Even as the lovely human figure before him turned into the hideous demon that had attacked them from the start, the smile remained. "Your friends are dead," she answered. For a moment, Beastboy thought a spear had been drive through his heart. "D-dead?" he parroted in disbelief.

"That's what I said," Vita mocked. "Dead. Each and ever last one of them. There is no one left."

"Y-you're lying!"

"Am I, now? What makes you so sure? If you want, I'll let you go see for yourself. All you have to do is hand over that little girl there." Vita pointed a thin, deformed finger towards the cowering Melvin. Noticing the dark apparition was pointing at her, Melvin hugged Teether tighter. The infant boy appeared too scared to respond to his comrade's death grip. "You can't have her," Beastboy limped between Vita's view of the children.

"I will, the angel will be mine," Vita growled. She arched her back like an angry cat. Her four spikes stood on end. Her claws tapped the ground as she kneed-ed at it impatiently. "Stand aside, or join your friends."

"No," Beastboy barked, almost literally considering his wolf form.

"Fool," Vita leaped faster than the single word was uttered. Beastboy was rolled onto his back with Vita's sharp claws pinning him. Her horrible scream rattled his sensitive eardrums. Her rows of piercing fangs gaped open to a mouth that would surely attempt devouring him in no more than two bites. Her deep crimson eyes stared at him in only a way that a predator would stare at it's trapped prey. Both sides knowing what would happen. It was a strange thing, being prey. Your life did not flash before your eyes as many who have faced death say it does. Being trapped, your mind only tells you what is to happen; what is to become of you. For Beastboy, he stared into the eyes of his attack, possibly murderer. No... not possibly. It was there, when terror washed away for a moment in time. Where the mind grew clear, and light without worry, did the brightest idea shine. Like holding the only star to ever exist in the night sky right there, in the palm of your hand. Beastboy knew, it may not allow him the chance to live, but it might very well be all Melvin and Teether needed to save their young lives. With it, his confidence grew.

Feeling the shift in the changeling's terror to that of courage, Vita's glee halted in it's fast pace. "Are you not afraid?" she hissed barely over a whisper. "Do you know what I have done? What I am capable of doing? Or perhaps you believe your friends will come to save you?" Beastboy did not speak, his confidence never wavering.

"Then maybe I should tell you what I did to them," Vita half snarled in Beastboy's face. Then her tone quieted, and became the true meaning of haunting. Were it not for the little idea that danced in his mind, Beastboy might have shuttered, or grew fearful by her voice alone, rather than the words she spoke. "Let's see... as I recall, Victor is your closest friend. Do you want to hear what I've done to him? I think the word 'scrap heap' comes to mind to best describe your friend now. Good luck to any being that steps foot in this tower after I have destroyed the angel. If I or my children don't decide to eat them first, then maybe they can attempted separating his remains from the other bits of shrapnel littering the garage." Vita glared down at Beastboy to see his reaction, but he was the same as he was before.

"You still don't believe me, do you?" Vita ran a single claw along Beastboy's jawline. She made sure to cut when reaching his chin. Little spots of red prickled from the paper cut sized scratch. Sub-consciously, the green titan returned to his human state. He waited for the right moment, the time he knew to make his mark. The time he would truly bare his name as a superhero. "What about one of your other friends? Would you like to hear about them?" Silence. "Hn... I see what you are trying to do. You're trying to be strong, trying to discourage me from my attack. You know, this is fairly familiar. Of course, the brave leader of your disgraceful hero team. Richard had been the same way. And you know what I did to him? First, I posses the body of his beloved Koriand'r. Then, with her hands, I strangled his runt neck." As if demonstrating, Vita pressed down on Beastboy's neck. He gasped for breath, as was only natural for one being strangled. In his mind, he kept the idea solid and clear. Made it play out over and over. It was water in the desert; the only air he needed to breath. Please, let it work!

Soon, Vita's grip lightened. Two things were written on her monstrous features. The first- and most obvious- was confusion. How was he unafraid? For Vita, fear of others was her strength. Yet this boy, this weak little... this whelp in which so many freely trust with their very lives, dare not fear her. How?! Fear was a human trait. It shaped the world for centuries, but here was one little being, barely more than a child, facing her and all her superior abilities was not afraid. Left undaunted, or without discouragement. Not even the slightest faint-heartedness. All this brought the second emotion the riddled Vita's ferocious face. Frustration. What an impudent brat! She would show him fear. She would torture it out of him until he pleaded for mercy. Then, and only then, would he receive death.

Vita tore her claws along Beastboy's chest; taking precaution that he was still pinned and, thus, incapable of attack. That did not mean, however, she could stop him from his shape changing abilities. Faster than Vita's second attack he changed into a tortoise. The thick shell providing him with enough protection that Vita's claws did no harm. Since his tortoise form allowed him freedom from Vita's grasp, the demon's claws knocked him hard enough to slid along the floor away from her. He knew to change quickly because Vita would be on the attack as soon as she realized he was no longer in her grasp. Just as he took on the form of an alligator, Vita was bounding through the air towards him. She screeched a mighty battle cry that was as horrid as a mangled body in a children's play house. Beastboy whipped his tail, just barely catching Vita's jaw. It stunned the demon, for the amount of time it took to blink an eye.

Her jaws were openly snapping once again. Light glittered off each ivory fang. This time, though, Beastboy had jagged fangs of his own. He clamped his alligator teeth on Vita's snout after barely escaping one of her attacks. Feeling flesh in his jaws, he took to a death roll. Vita pushed her hands to the ground so as not to be dragged down by his move. This only caused pain. She let go and fell to the ground just as Beastboy was in mid-roll. Beastboy let go of Vita and changed again. This time into an ankylosaurs. His club tail bashed down on Vita's skull so hard the floor dented. There was a pause before Vita's body began to melt away. Only a shadow lay on the floor. Beastboy lifted his tail while taking the form of a lion. With the weight removed, the shadow raced to the wall. Half way up it re-assembled itself into Vita. "Do you honestly think you can win?!" she shouted. "I should snap your neck, like I did your alien friend. Or rip your heart out from you chest and eat it like with that damned girl that had dare say she was of demon heritage. I Will kill you! Do you hear me?!"

"Yeah, I hear ya," Beastboy answered without care.

"Then why are you not afraid?!"

"Because I'm a hero, and that's what we do. Nothin's gonna change that. And you're not going to beat me! You know why?" Now was the time, this was what he waited for. It was only know he doubted if it would work. He glanced at Melvin and Teether. They had taken to hiding under Timmy's blanket. It had to work. "Why is that?" Vita snarled. "What makes you think you could possible defeat me?"

"Because, Mirna told me so," he answered.

"Mirna?" This had caught the demon's interest.

"Yeah, that's right. The angel you've been fighting for who knows how long. She told me you were going to loose if I fought you. Me and her, we're gonna kick you can all the way back to hell." Vita did not respond immediately. Slowly, she crawled along the wall until she was once again on the floor. Once her feet touched ground she returned to the form of the beautiful woman she had been moments before. A look of curiosity struck her lovely features. "Are you truthfully declaring that you were the one chosen to posses the angel?" she asked. Beastboy also returned to human state. It was almost humourous as he balanced on one leg with his signature smile gracing his face. "Yep, and it's too late for you, Vita," he said proudly. At this, Vita began to pace around Beastboy. He did his best to follow her in case she attacked. He could see she was sizing him up. "As small as you?" she muttered. "Tell me then, Garfield, why someone as powerful as Mirna choose you as her vessel? You can't honestly tell me you are more pure than innocent children."

"Maybe not," Beastboy answered as he hopped in place to turn and watch Vita as she circled him. "But kids are innocent cause they don't know any better. They just know what adults teach them. But I'm a teenager. I know right and wrong, and I fight evil all the time. I'm totally green peace. Heck, look at me, I amgreen." Vita stopped pacing to look Beastboy in the eye. She searched for if he was lying. Beastboy, on the other hand, was doing an excellent job of keeping up his masquerade. In truth, he really had no idea where the angel was now, or who her vessel was. Yet, so long as Vita believed it to be him, it might help keep the others safe for even a short time.

Vita hissed to herself. "Very well, if you are revealing yourself then this means you are finally prepared for our final encounter. Know this Mirna, when you fail this boy you have chosen will be hung over the city for all to see. He will be my prize for defeating you. To show all your in ability to defeat me for one, poor choice." With her final piece said, Vita transformed again to her demon state. This time, however, a dark aura enveloped her. Her fangs grew out to ridiculous lengths and a third eye appeared on her forehead. Her thin skin and bone frame bulked until it was a mass of muscle. "On this day forth, darkness shall rain," her voice had changed to an echo. Staring at what he awaken, Beastboy's confidence was washed away with the wind. He turned into a hawk and took flight. Swiftly he made it past Vita's head. "Follow me, stupid," he called over his shoulder. Vita obied. They rushed down the hall away from Melvin and Teether to an unknown battle field that would hold only one result.

wooh! intense much! Okay, I think I did and okay job on this one. Review me, I want to hear what you think! even criticism is better than silence.

Up next... did our favorite green teen make it out alive? Where are the others? what will happen when Vita discovers the truth? All this and more! make sure to check in again soon.